Football volunteer praised by former England star

A volunteer who won an award for his commitment to his football club has been praised by former Nottingham Forest and England captain Stuart Pearce.

Josh Moorhouse, 23, from Malvern, Worcestershire, won a volunteer of the season award for his work at Malvern Town Football Club.

The national honour was introduced to celebrate volunteers who dedicate time to grassroots and non-elite football.

"I’m acutely aware of people of Josh’s ilk, that give their time and effort to make it possible for the likes of myself to go on a footballing journey," said Pearce.

"He’s 23 years old - it’s nice to see someone as young as Josh coming in and lending his time and being part of the setup here.

"He's not just doing the stuff he’s really skilled at, he’s quite happy to do any sort of job on a match day."

Stuart Pearce said it was volunteers like Mr Moorhouse that allowed people like him to forge a football career

Pearce added that young people brought fresh ideas to clubs.

"He’ll be a major asset to this football club because of his age, if nothing else," he said.

"When you talk to him you realise how bright he is.

"I think he’ll be bright wherever he works, there’s no doubt about that. At this moment in time, I think he’s a major asset for Malvern."

Mr Moorhouse has volunteered in a variety of roles at club - from player registration to bar work and even filling in for their kit man in the dugout.

Because of his work, he was nominated for the Pitching In Volunteer of the Year award.

Pitching In is a grassroots sport investment programme and sponsor of the Trident Leagues, which includes Malvern Town's Southern League.

As part of his prize, Mr Moorhouse went on a trip to Dublin to watch the UEFA Europa League Final and took part in a training session with footballing legends including Diego Forlan and Robert Pires.